a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a medical device for treatment and diagnosis of tissues within a body. In particular, the invention relates to a device in which mechanical stress on conductors carrying signals from position sensors on the device and at the connection point of the conductors to the sensors may be reduced.
b. Background Art
It is desirable to track the position of medical devices such as catheters as they are moved within a body so that, for example, drugs and other forms of treatment are administered at the proper location and medical procedures can be completed more efficiently and safely. One conventional means to track the position of medical devices within the body is fluoroscopic imaging. Fluoroscopy is disadvantageous, however, because it subjects the patient and clinician to undesirable levels of electromagnetic radiation. As a result, medical device navigation systems have been developed to track the position of medical devices within the body. These systems typically rely on the generation of electrical or magnetic fields and the detection of induced voltages and currents on position sensors attached to the medical device. The information derived from these systems is then provided to a clinician through, for example, a visual display.
The position sensors are typically located at or near a distal end of the medical device. The sensors generate signals indicative of the position of the distal end of the medical device. Conductors are connected to the position sensors and carry the signals from the position sensors to an electronic control unit that is typically disposed outside of the body at the proximal end of the medical device. As the medical device is maneuvered through the body to and from a region of interest, these conductors—and the points of connection between the conductors and the position sensors—are subjected to mechanical stress.
The inventors herein have recognized a need for a medical device for treatment and diagnosis of tissues within a body that will minimize and/or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies.